Stapling and stitching mechanism for rotary printing machines



Dec. 31,1935. J MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July29, 1935 '4 Sheets-Sheet l Egg!" +8 awa L 73 82 INVEN'I'OR.

Dec. 31, 1935. J. E. MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July29, 1953 4 SheetsSheet 2 /////////////4'//A.'r/4 R INVENTOR Dec. 31,1935. J. MEYER 2,026,135

STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed July29, 1953 4 She ets-Sheet 5 INVEN'I'OR LOT I 7W Air's Patented Dec. 31,1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAPLING AND STITCHING MECHANISM FORROTARY PRINTING MACHINES poration of New York Application July 29, 1933,Serial No. 682,764

13 Claims.

This invention relates to stapling mechanism for rotary printingmachines, and has for its object, the provision of certain desiredimprovements in mechanism of the kind indicated, that will produce animproved, more uniform staple and achieve its insertion into webor'sheet products'at a far higher speed than heretofore possible.

Another object is to provide improved stapling 10. mechanism for rotaryprinting machines which willassure a continuous wire feed instead of theintermittent feed'hitherto customary, and which will produce theabsolutely uniform length of wire for each staple desirable for highspeed stapling.

Another object is to provide means for altering the rate of feed of thewire in accordance with the number of staples to be produced percylinder revolution.

Another object is the provision of means facilitating the easy removalof the wire guide fingers for repair and for removing foreign matter,bits of wire, etc., which would interfere with the proper operation ofthe mechanism.

2a Another-object is to provide means for starting and stopping the wirefeed while the press is in operation inorder to allow the stapler tooperate idly when the paper is being threaded through the press, or thepress is being run without paper for any'reason.

A further object is to provide means for locating the plunger or wireengaging element at the proper height in the cylinder without thenecessity of taking measurements.

A stillfurther object is to provide an improved method and meansforforming or shaping the staple.

It is also an object to provide an improved stapling mechanism, wherebythe device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, aswell as convenient, practical, serviceable and eflicient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will. appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement' of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The-preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. in theaccompanying drawings, wheremy Figure 1 is an end elevational view,partly in section, of the stapling mechanism, with the outside portionof the front frame and certain other parts removed;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view 5 of the assembly, asseen from the outside of the front frame;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the device, as viewed in thedirection of the arrow F3 of Figure l; g 10 Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary plan View of certain parts, as viewed on the line and in thedirection of the arrow F-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, as seen on the line55 of Figure 1; 15

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view showing certainparts which coact with the staple forming and applying mechanism;

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View as seen on the line'l! of Figure 1, showing details of construction of the staple horn orformer and coacting plungers; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary, elevational detail view of the means employedfor selectively silencing or'making operative either of the two rows ofthe staple forming plungers illustrated.

In the drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in the preferred form of the invention, the numerall0 designates the frame of the machine, and II a shaft or rod fastenedin blocks I2 which are secured toa braceor plate l3 suitably secured tothe said frame IU of the machine. On the rod II, a plurality of wirespool holders are slidably mounted. Each of the spool holders comprisesa clamping hub l5 which is split or slotted as at It, to provideextended ends I1, I 8 which are connected by a screw I9. To the hub l5,resilient side members or flexible strips 2| are secured, the saidstrips having, pins or studs 22 whereon a spool of wire 23 may berotatably supported. When the screw I9 is loosened, the hub l5 may bemoved to locate the spool 23 in the position best adapted for conveyingwire W to the wire feed box hereinafter described.

As best shown in Figure 3, the wire W from the spool 23 is led to a.wire feed box 24 which may be of any suitable construction. The wirefeed box 24, which is attached to the side of a horn hereinaftermentioned, is provided with a block 25 which has a wire receiving groove(not shown) normally covered by a plate 26, it being understood that aplurality of wire feed boxes 24 and a corresponding plurality of wirespool holders l4 may be employed, if desired or necessary. To thegrooved guide block 25, a roller 21 having a groove (not shown) on itsperiphery, is rotatably mounted, the last-mentioned groove aligning withthe groove in the block 25. A portion of the plate 26 which is bentinwardly as at 28, is cut away at one end to accommodate one of a pairof grooved feed rollers 29 between which wire passes from the groovedroller 21 to a liner and pivoted guide finger hereinafter described. Theoutermost of the pair of rollers 29, which is the only one illustrated,is rotatable on a stud 39 and is formed integrally with or secured to agear wheel SE. The gear wheel 35 meshes with another gear wheel (notshown) which is fastened on a shaft 32 having a worm wheel 33 meshingwith a worm 34 secured to a driven shaft 35 rotatably supported by thebrace I 3. The shaft 35 runs in bearings indicated at 36, 31, and has apair of gears 38, 39 fastened on a common hub (not shown) which isslidably splined on the said shaft 35. The common hub of the gears 38,39 is engaged by a yoke or collar 4], fastened to a rod H by a bolt M,the said rod 4! being slidably mounted in spaced heads 50' of a bracket5E3, said bracket in turn being secured to the brace member l3. The yokeor collar H is connected to a gear shifting member or arm 42, the hub ofwhich latter is slidably mounted on a shaft or bar d3 journaled inspaced heads 13 forming a part of the aforesaid bracket 50. The shaft orbar 43 is formed with notches 44 which are adapted to receive a ball 45pressed by a spring 56, the compression of which latter may be varied bya retaining screw bolt if. By means of the gear shifting member 42, theyoke 41 and, consequently, the gears 38, 39 may be shifted toselectively engage either of two gears 48, 49 respectively, keyed to thehub of a gear 52 loosely mounted on an idler shaft 5!, the gear 52meshing with a gear 53 loosely supported on a shaft 54 revolvablymounted in brackets 56' and having a cylinder 55, generally designatedas the stitching or stapling cylinder, secured thereto, the shaft 5lhaving keyed thereon a cone clutch assembly designated generally by thenumeral H5 and adapted to operatively engage and be disengaged from thegear 53 thereby providing means for starting or stopping the wirefeeding. mechanism while the machine is in operation. The said bracket54' is extended upward in such a manner as to carry the wire feedingassembly, and change speed gears system therefor, as best shown inFigures 2 and 3. A shift lever (not shown) operates in the groove of thecone clutch M6 for moving the latter into and out of operativeengagement with the gear 53. The shaft 55 is driven by means connectedto a gear 555, which gear is secured to the last mentioned shaft. Thechange gear mechanism above described and best shown in Figure 3provides means for altering the rate of feed of the wire independentlyof the speed of the printing machine, so that either one or two staples,as desired, per revolution of the stitching cylinder 55 may be producedby each pair of plungers hereinafter described, and inserted into thepaper. The said change speed gear mechanism also serves for operativelyconnecting the wire feeding mechanism with the driven mechanism ordisconnecting it from the same.

Referring to Figures 1, 6 and 7, the numeral 51 designates one of aseries of reciprocating stitching plungers, all of which are adjustablyconnected to earn controlled oscillating members hereinafter described.Each stitching plunger 5? comprises a body portion which is providedwith right and left hand facing projections 58 and 58, the saidprojections and 58' having shoulders or cam surfaces as at 58 whichcoact with a wire cutting knife or blade (not shown) 5 secured to thestitching box M for the purposeof cutting off a portion of wirepreparatory to forming a staple thereof, as hereinafter described. Agrooved wire rest 69 for the purpose of supporting the wire is arrangedin the cylin- 10 der 55 between the opposed facing projections 58 and58' of the plunger 5?, which are notched as at El to receive a length ofwire preparatory to forming a staple of same. The hardened liner 62 of ahorn se is accommodated between the facing projections 58 and 58, thesaid liner having grooves on either side as at 56, 55. The horn 63 whichis secured by screws fit to any suitable portion of the brace or plateit of the stapling machine, has plates El, 68 fastened to the sidesthereof, to which point forming members or fingers 69, H for the purposeof bending the ends of a cut section of wire inwardly to facilitateclinching, are securely held by bolts and nuts 12,

13 respectively. Each of the point forming mernbers 69, H is formed withan inturned flange or cam surface 'id which is received in one of theadjacent grooves 6 65 mentioned above wherein the opposite ends i5, E6of a length of wire are thrust and bent inwardly by the said flanges M,as hereinafter described, as the stapling cylinder 55 revolves in acounter-clockwise direction (as seen in Figure l), carrying the plunger51. The traveling plunger 5'! is formed with a notch 6i adapted toreceive a length of wire W, the end of which protrudes exteriorlythrough a groove or notch ll formed in an extended portion of a pivotedwire guide finger '38, as seen in Figure 6, which is biased by a spring'18. The finger i8 is pivoted on a pin is secured to a bracket 8!fastened to the frame 53, and is adjustable by means of a screw 32,which may be looked after adjustment by a nut 83, the said wire guidefinger 18, also being easily removable for cleaning or replacement, bysimply taking out the screw bolt in the bracket 8i. As describedhereinafter, the stitching cylinder 55 coacts with an anvil or staplingdie (not shown) arranged on an adjacent rotating clinching or diecylinder 8% for the purpose of clinching the staples inserted in sheetsor products.

On each end of the shaft 56. of the stitching cylinder 55, a cam 86which controls the movements of the traveling plungers 5? as set forthbelow, is secured. Each cam 85 is normally held in fixed relation to thecylinder 55 by a bracket or cam holder 81, the said cam holder 8'!having extensions or legs 8'! provided with lugs 80, each of which isformed with an elongated slot 89 in which the stems of screws 98threadedly engaged in the frame it are slidably engaged.

Each cam 8% has coacting therewith a cam roller 88 traveling in a campath or trackway formed in the said cam, the roller 88 being rotatablymounted on a crank arm or lever 89 fastened to each of a pair of rockshafts iii) mounted eccentrically in the cylinder 55. On each rock shaft35, a number of plunger operating members or levers 9i (Figure 6) areclamped, each member 53! carrying a pin 92 secured at one slotted endthereof and held in place by a set screw 92, the pin 92 being receivedin a notched or cutout portion 93 on the end of the plunger 5?. Thelevers 5, it will be understood, may be unolamped from the rock shaft9!), and per-'75 mitted to swing down out of operative position, thusproducing any desired number or only one row of staples at eachrevolution as desired. With a view to insuring the return of the leversH I to the correct height, stop collars I00, each having a side shoulderstop I09" are clamped on each of the rock shafts 90 in any suitablemanner adjacent each lever SI, the said shoulder stop I00 engaging asimilar stop 9I on each of the levers 9| (Figure 6). See also Figure 8which shows the stops spaced apart.

It will now be observed that the'movements oi the reciprocatingplungers-relati'vely to the members coacting therewith may be variablytimed which is accomplished by first loosening the screws 98 and thenturning the cam holders 81, and consequently, the cams 86 in a clockwiseor counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) so thatthe coacting cam rollers 39 on the rock shafts 90 will move over theeffective cam portions on the saidcams at different periods or arcs ofmovements of the stitching cylinder 55. After the desired adjustment ismade, the cam holders are fastened by tightening the said screws 98.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 3, in order to accommodate products ofvarious thicknesses between the stitching cylinder 55 and its coactingclinching and mating cylinder 84, which is accomplished by sliding theentire mechanism into and out of engagement with the cylinder 84, rackbars 94 secured at one end by bolts 99 to brackets 54' (see Figure 4)are provided, the said rack bars 94 being slidably arranged in brackets94' secured to the side frame of the machine, and having teeth 95,engaged by pinions 96, which are keyed to the shaft 91, the latterhaving a squared end adapted to be engaged by a handle or wrench. Thebrackets 54 in which the cylinder shaft 54 is rotatably mounted, areadjustably secured by upper screws IIlI, I02 and by lower screws IUI,I02 to the frame of the ma chine, the stems of the said screws beingreceived in corresponding upper slots I03, I04, and lower slots I03, H14formed in the said frame. When the screws I GI, I92, I ilI', I82 areloosened, the brackets 54' may be moved by means of rack bars 94,pinions 95 and shaft 91; and the cylinder 55, the change speed gearmechanism and the wire feeding means shifted bodily as a unit relativelyto the mating clinching cylinder 84. In order to limit the translationalmovement of the stitching cylinder 55, and the other mechanism connectedthereto, a post or stop IE5 is provided on the frame of the machine, thesaid post being engaged by the head of a screw Hi6 which is threaded inan adjacent bracket 5% and locked in adjusted position thereon by a nutI01.

The operation of the device may now be summarized as follows:

Assuming the stitching cylinder 55 and the collecting clinching cylinder84 to be rotating in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon, andclutch IlD to have operatively engaged gear 53, so that gear 38 or 39 ismeshed with its coacting gear 48, 4E3 respectively, the two rock shaftscarried by the cylinder 55 will ride their respective rollers 88 in thegroove or path of the cam 86 thereby causing each plunger 51 on itsrespective row connected to an adjacent rock shaft 96, to gradually moveradially towards the circumference of the circle 55 and then graduallyto protrude from same, as said cylinder 55 is rotating in acounter-clockwise direction, preparatory to picking up a length of wireand bending same in conjunction with the coacting horn guide 62 andfinger guides 69, II. As best shown in Figure 6, it will be noted, thatthe facing pro-' jections 58 of the adjacent plunger 51 have swept pastthe pivoted finger 1.8; the notch BI picking up a section of wire whichwas lying inthe groove 11 of the pivoted finger 18, the said wire havingbeen previously cut by the engagement of the shoulders or cams 59 with awire cutting element (not shown) in. the feed box-24. Further movementof the plunger 51 will now cause the flanges or cam surfaces 14 of thepoint forming fingers 69, H to progressively bend the ends of the lengthof wire, mentioned above, into the grooves 64, 65 of the horn liner 62(Figure '7). It is to be noted that as each plunger 51 passes the fingerguides 69, II, it will recede slightly to allow the ends of the saidwire to project beyond the plunger and come in contact with thebendingcam surfaces 14, this being accomplished by the configuration of the cam86. After the said plunger 51 has passed by the said point formingguides orfingers 69, 1I, it again protrudes or rises to its originalheight in order to support and guide the wire as it engages the paper onthe clinching or die cylinder 84. Further movement of the stitchingcylinder 55 will move the plunger 51, past the clinching or diecylinder, the said plunger gradually withdrawing or moving radiallyinward during this last described movement, thereby allowing the pointsof the wire staple formed as above described, to project through thepaper and strike a die or anvil (not shown) in the cylinder 84, thusclinching the ends-of the staple through the product. After thisoperation, the plunger 51 rises to its original position for therepetition of the same cycle of operation.

It is to be noted that the present mechanism is adapted to accommodatesheets or products of varying thicknesses by bodily moving the stitchingcylinder 55 andv the attached mechanism as indicated above towards andaway from the clinching cylinder, and also provides means (adjustablecams 85, and elements on rock'shafts 90 actuated thereby) for variablytiming the movements of the two rows or series of stitching plungers 51connected to the said pair of rock shafts 90 illustrated.

In connection with the change speed gear mechanism mentioned .above, itwill be observed, as best shown in Figure 3, when the gears 38 and 48are in mesh, sufficient wire is supplied for forming two sets of staplesper revolution'of the cylinder 55 by utilizing both rows or all theplungers 51; and when the gears 39 and 49 are placed in mesh, wire forforming one set of staples by either of the two rows of plungers 51 ateach cylinder revolution, while the other row is preferably silenced bythe means hereinbefore described, will be furnished. a

As another and important feature of the present invention, wire W is fedcontinuously, and not intermittently, from the wire feed box 24, itbeing observed that just as soon as suflicient wire to form a staple isprotruded from the said feed box and from either side of the notch 11 inthe member 18, the plunger 51 after the cutter (not shown) has severed alength of the wire, will proceed to bend same into a staple inconjunction with the horn guide 63 and coacting elements. and thenthrust it through the signature or product. The.

wire feeding mechanism meanwhile will again immediately begin to force alength of wire through the groove 11 of the member 18 until the samelength and position, as above described,

is again arrived at for severing and bending into a staple.

It is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributesthereof and it is therefore desired the present embodiment be consideredin all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being hadto the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description toindicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In wire stapling mechanism, the combination of a pair of rotatablecylinders, wire engaging means arranged on one of the cylinders, wirefeeding and supplying means, said wire feeding and supplying meanshaving variably controlled gear driven means for selectively actuatingand rendering inoperative said wire feeding and supplying means. andother means for adjustably locating the wire engaging means in one ofthe cylinders at a predetermined height to operatively engage wirewithout the necessity of measurements.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, apair of cylinders rotatably arranged on said frame, wire supplying andfeeding mechanism mechanically connected to one of the said pair ofcylinders, wire engaging and inserting means operatively arranged on oneof the cylinders, means to operate and render inoperative said wiresupplying mechanism while said cylinders are rotating, other means forvariably timing the action of said wire supplying mechanism, andmanually operable means for bodily moving one of the cylinders towardsand away from the other of said cylinders to accommodate products ofvarious thicknesses therebetween.

3. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of aframe, a pair of cylinders mounted on said frame, coacting stapleforming and inserting means secured to said frame and cylinders,'astaple engaging plunger mechanically connected to a shaft turnablymounted on one of said cylinders, and a cam structure having slottedlugs adjustably secured to said frame, said cam being adjustablerelatively to said frame for predetermining the position at which saidplunger will operatively engage a guide forming a part of said'stapleforming and inserting means.

4. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of aframe having horn guides,

' a stitching cylinder and a coacting folding cylinder mounted on saidframe, a plurality of rows of wire engaging plungers reciprocatinglymounted on said stitching cylinder, cam actuated means for operatingsaid plungers, other means for selectively rendering operative orinoperative any number of plungers, and means for accurately resettingsaid plungers.

5. In stitching mechanism of the character described, the combinaticnwith a stitching cylinder and a folding cylinder, of reciprocatinglungers mounted on said stitching cylinder, a frame for supporting saidstitching and folding cylinders, a cam secured to and normallymaintained in fixed position on said frame, a plurality of rollersoperatively engaged against said cam, said rollers being connected to acorresponding plurality of rock shafts mounted in the stitchingcylinder, said plungers being mechanically connected in a series on eachof the rock shafts, and means for selectively silencing or makingoperative any number of said plungers. 7

6. In stapling mechanism of the kind described,

the combination with coacting cylinders mounted on a frame, of a pair ofrock shafts turnably arranged in one of the cylinders, a row of reciproeating plungers adjustably secured to each of said rock shafts, meansfor selectively silencing or making operative any number of plungers,and gear means for changing the rate at which wire may be fed andsupplied to said plungers.

'7. In stapling mechanism of the kind described, the combination of aframe, a stitching cylinder 10 and a clinching cylinder, a horn guidesecured to said frame, a pair of members secured to the sides of saidhorn, and a reciprocable plunger secured to the stitching cylinder, saidplunger coacting with said horn guide to form staples, said staplesbeing preliminarily bent by said pair of members preparatory toinsertion in sheet material passing between said stitching cylinder andsaid clinching cylinder, and means to move said plunger outward afterthe staple passes the bending elements to maintain a full grip on thestaple.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, apair of cylinders rotatably mounted on said frame, one of said cylindershaving a wire engaging member, means 00- acting with said wire engagingmember for supplying and feeding wire to same, other means connected tosaid last mentioned means for actuating and stopping same while saidcylinders are rotating, and means for bodily moving one of saidcylinders relatively to the other of said cylinders, whereby products ofvarying thicknesses may be operatively accommodated therebetween.

9. In wire stapling mechanism for printing machines, the combination ofa frame, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the frame, means including ahorn guide, a member pivotally mounted on a removable bracket on theframe, a plunger reciprocatingly mounted on the cylinder, means forsupplying and thrusting a section of wire through said first mentionedmember, a notch formed in the plunger for engaging said section of wire,and other means arranged in said plunger whereby said section of wire,after engagement by the plunger, will be progressively engaged withmeans located on the horn guide in order to form in coaction-with thesaid plunger a complete staple.

10. In wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for feedingwire continuously, a rotary cylinder having a plurality of stapleforming and inserting means secured thereon and coactable with saidmeans, other means for rendering inoperative or operating all or aselected number of said staple forming and inserting means at eachrevolution of said cylinder, said means including an adjustable leverarm connected to the cylinder, and means for varying the effectiveoperating position of said staple forming and inserting means.

11. In a rotary stapling mechanism, a stitching cylinder, a clinchingcylinder, a plunger slidable within the stitching cylinder, a stapleforming horn cooperating with the plunger, a wire holding mechanismassociated with said horn, means adjacent the horn for bending the endsof the staple, and means for moving the plunger outward to engage thewire, then inward while it passes the end bending means, then outward toprovide a support for the staple substantially to the ends thereofbefore it engages the prodact, and finally inward while the staple isbeing forced into the product and clinched.

12. In a wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for supplyingwire, a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of wire engaging piungersreciprocatingly mounted therein, rocker members connected with saidplungers, means to move said rocker members to an inoperative position,and means to provide for the accurate resetting of said rocker members.

13. In a wire stapling mechanism, the combination of means for supplyingwire, a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of wire engaging plungersreciprocatingly mounted thereon, levers connected with said plungers, arock shaft to support said levers, means to move said levers to aninoperative position on said rock shaft, and stop members engageable bysaid levers when in an operative position to assure the correct returnof the plungers after resetting same.

JOSEPH E. MEYER.

